| “They kept silent about the rifles but it continues the poverty”, admits president Colom |
Guatemala evokes 12 years of the end of the civil war |
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Alvaro Colom, president of Guatemala, declares to
exit of the commemorative mass of 12 anniversary of
the Peace agreements of 1996. |
City of Guatemala
AP
Guatemala celebrates 12do anniversary of the signature of the peace agreements that finished to 36 years of civil war but that still did not achieve the deep social transformations for those who were designed.
“ Regrettably, the peace was signed, but it was only to keep silent about the rifles and the real causes (that caused the armed conflict) did not stuff themselves”, affirmed the Guatemalan president Alvaro Colom in a speech at the end of an ecumenical religious service in the Cathedral of City of Guatemala, on Monday, the 29th.
Guatemala signed the agreements of “firm and lasting peace” on December 29, 1996 under a novel model of that time proposed by United Nations in which the parts were promising, in addition to the cessation of the hostilidades, to collaborate in the eradication of the causes that gave beginning to the conflict like the poverty, the inequality in the distribution of wealth, the racism and the discrimination, in addition to the closing of the political spaces.
There were advances in fields like the reduction and subjection of the army to the civil power or the reform of the electoral law. Nevertheless, half of the population still lives with less than two daily dollars and vast most of poor are indigenous.
After the religious service in which catholic priests and evangelical shepherds took part, Colom came to a concert in the central square of this capital. There he listened to the premiere of the "Ode to the Peace", of the composer and the director Jorge Sarmientos.
| Hamas answers with rockets to the bombings |
Deadly attacks it throws Israel in Gaza
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Ibrahim Barzak and Amy Teibel
City of Gaza, Stripe of Gaza / AP
Palestinian militiamen armed with rockets more powerful that never supported his attacks against frontier communities in Israel, despite the incessant Israeli air bombings against Hamas positions in the Stripe of Gaza and the denial of Egypt to open a frontier crossing.
About 400 Palestinians have died since Israel threw on Saturday, the 27th his air assault against the Islamic group Hamas, which governs Gaza, shortly after a fragile truce of six months was expiring. Most of the dead persons are members of the securities force of Hamas, but the number was including at least 64 civil ones, in accordance with numbers of the UNO. Between the dead persons there were two 4 and 11-year-old sisters, who perished during an Israeli attack against a rockets squadron in the north of Gaza on Tuesday, the 30th.
The campaign has created a new reality also to the south of Israel. Palestinian militiamen have got worse his attacks with rockets and mortars, killing three civil Israelis and a soldier and extending the status of his targets with an arsenal of more powerful weapon.
Military sources thought that a tenth part of the population of Israel – approximately 7 millions - is now exposed to the attacks with rockets. Of four Israelis died from the beginning of the operation on Saturday, the three they were in areas that casualties had not suffered previously.
In 72 hours from the beginning of the Israeli offensive, the Palestinian militiamen have thrown more than 250 rockets and shells.
Colombia
He waits for liberations
The High place Commissioned for the Peace, Luis Carlos Restrepo, he affirmed on Tuesday, the 30th that the government only hopes that the guerrillas of the FARC should indicate the place where it will liberate six kidnapped ones by that time to proceed to suspend military operations in this area. The FARC announced in a bulletin on December 21 that between the liberated ones they will be the ex-governor of the department of the Goal, Alan Jara, kidnapped in July, 2001 and to the regional deputy Sigifredo López, hostage from April, 2002.
Honduras
He returns arsenal
The armed forces of Honduras announced on Monday, the 29th the return of an arsenal that the army stored for more than 20 years to an American company that for then was offering it to face a temporary employee invasion of Nicaragua. The arsenal consists of 4.600 rifles FAL, 800 rifles AK-47, 30 anti-aircraft guns, 2.500 rockets and 48 rockets RPG-7.
El Salvador
New archbishop
The Pope Benedicto XVI named like new metropolitan archbishop of San Salvador monsignor José Luis Escobar Alas, reported the press office of the Holy See. To sweep Wings, who was till now a bishop of San Vicente, will replace monsignor Fernando Sáenz Lacalle, whom the pontiff accepted the resignation presented by the limit of age of 75 years.
Cuba
They lengthen the life
Cuba hopes to be prolonged up to 80 years the life expectancy of his population for 2015, two more that at present, thanks to his free health model emphatically in the prevention, he reported by the vice-minister of Health, Joaquín García, after there realizes a balance for 50 anniversary of the Cuban revolution.
Uruguay
Prices control
The Uruguayan government is ready to appeal to an "intervention" of the domestic markets to prevent the internal prices from increasing as a result of speculative maneuvers for the international economic crisis, as announced on Monday, the 29th governmental officials after the last annual meeting of the ministerial office.
Brazil
They dismiss intelligence chief
The president Luiz Inácio Lula gives Miscellany it dismissed on Monday, the 29th the chief of the Brazilian Agency of Intelligence (Abin), Paulo Lacerda, after months of there was isolated from the charge for a scandal of telephone spying of tall civil servants, included the Chief Justice, Gilmar Mendes.
Ecuador
They increase basic salary
The Ecuadoran government approved an increase for 18 dollars to the basic salary that will be current during 2009, announced the Secretary of Labor, Antonio Gagliardo. The monthly minimum wage spent from 200 to 218 dollars and the increase is almost half of what was decreed for this year for what trade union organizations announced immediately his rejection.
Chile
Yes it has disappeared
The president Michelle Bachelet went out on Monday, the 29th to the step of right-wing opponents who doubted the existence of a thousand of arrested eliminated during the dictatorship of general Augusto Pinochet, after four false cases met. “We are not going to allow that this historical truth to be doubted and much less that to be played by the suffering of many families that still wait for truth and justice", expressed Bachelet on Monday, the 29th, after a meeting with his ministerial office.
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